Destined
by Sable Supernova
Summary: What If... Lily Evans wasn't the witch, but Petunia instead? Maybe, just maybe, Lily Evans and James Potter were always going to be destined for each other.
1. The Party

Written for the What If Competition, where I was asked "What If Lily Evans wasn't the witch, but Petunia instead?"

Also written for the Marauder Era Oneshot Competition, where I was given the pairing, James and Lily.

Also written for The Treasure Hunt, where I was asked to "write about two people who only ever loved each other."

*This chapter was written as a one-shot in response to a challenge, but it has now been extended to a multi-chapter. However, as the below has not changed, this chapter can still be read as a one-shot.*

* * *

"But you're letting Vernon go!" Lily moaned, spitting the name of her sister's Muggle boyfriend with venom.

"Fine, Lily, you can come. But if you get in trouble because you aren't magic, it's not my fault!" Petunia argued, picking up her wand and placing it in her pocket.

"Thank you! You're the best sister!" Lily said as she jumped up to give Petunia a hug. Petunia just shrugged her off, annoyed at the younger girls enthusiasm.

Petunia didn't really want to be that girl that took her little sister with her, not at eighteen, but Lily's barely concealed jealousy at Petunia's life gave the older girl a power that she revelled in.

The party that night was going to be killer, she knew that one. She sat at her vanity table, a white oak specimen with an adjustable oval mirror and began to comb out her hair, smiling to herself. That day, she felt like she had everything.

Lily rushed straight to her room, flinging her wardrobe open to decide what to wear. She knee her sister didn't really want her there, but Lily promised herself she wouldn't hang around at Petunia's ankles all night. She was finally getting a real chance to live in Petunia's world, in magic and mystery, even if only for one night. Her O-Level English revision long forgotten on her bed, she pondered over the decision to wear jeans or a dress.

* * *

At seven o'clock that night, Petunia, Lily and Vernon were in the Evans' living room, waiting for Petunia's best friend, Lizzie Stebbins to arrive. She was a witch like Petunia, and she had agreed to Apparate Lily there with them. Lily couldn't sit still in her excitement, fiddling with a stray thread on the hem of her denim skirt. Her hair was straight and long, as it often was, it's deep red catching the light. Petunia was wearing a floral dress, as she often did, just above knee length, both daring and proper. Vernon, on the other hand, wore a mundane grey suit and a blank expression, as if trying to mask his uncomfortableness at the whole situation. He still wasn't sure what to make of magic, and Lily wanted to tell him how wonderful and brilliant it was. She wasn't sure he would listen.

When Lizzie arrived, in the fireplace, as was often her style, she grinned at them all and shook the soot from her bright blonde hair. She was wearing an odd combination of a peach cardigan, a long flowing skirt and a bright red fitted shirt. The three pieces didn't exactly fit together as an outfit, but Lily thought it had character.

"Lizzie, finally!" Petunia jumped up to greet her friend, before turning to her sister.

"Lily, remember, you leave me alone, unless you're in trouble, okay?" she said.

"Yes, I know," Lily eagerly agreed. Anything to make sure she got there.

"Vernon, calm down, it's only a party," she cooed to her boyfriend as she placed a comforting hand on his. "You've been to parties before."

"Yes, of course," he said with a thin-lipped smile as he stood.

Lizzie began to head over to Lily with a smile. This was it, it was finally happening, Lily thought.

* * *

When Lily arrived at the party, it was like nothing she had ever seen. Candles were floating high above the party goers, lighting the scene, while party poppers and streamers were flying around in all directions, without anyone setting them off. The music she could hear over the din of chatter was unlike anything they parted on the radio, and the smell of sugar and food from the buffet table was irresistible. In all her sixteen years, she'd never seen anything so... magical.

Petunia and her friends had gathered around a table, and there was an unspoken understanding that she was not invited. But Lily didn't mind. As she glanced around the room, she saw red and gold everywhere, which she knew to be the colours of Gryffindor, Petunia's School House. She also saw that she was not the youngest person in the room and there were a few people her age. She watched as a boy with messy hair and glasses pointed his wand at a girl he seemed to know. She immediately sprouted horns, very similar to a goat's, and the boy and his friends laughed hysterically. Arrogant toerag, Lily thought.

* * *

James Potter and his friends knew there was nowhere in the world they wanted to be more than this party. No teachers, no curfews, no rules. The punch had been spiked so many times it was more alcohol than fruit juice, and the girls were dressed up in their finest.

"She's an eight," Sirius stated, pointing at a girl by the bar.

"Agreed. She's a seven," James replied as a brunette walked past them. Unfortunately, the girl seemed to hear.

"Excuse me," she said, accusingly.

"What?" Sirius asked, assuming an air of ignorance.

"A seven? You vile little boys," she spat.

"We can change it if you want," James replied with a small smile.

The girl began to scoff and walk away, but before she could, James pointed his wand at her and fashioned a pair of horns on her head.

"You're a four now," Sirius commented, and the pair broke into a laugh, along with a few others nearby.

And that was when James saw her. Auburn hair shining in the candlelight, looking right at him with an air of derision. She was definitely a ten. Forget Jerry Hall, forget Rene Russo, forget all the muggle women Sirius had introduced him to through magazines and photographs. She was perfect, and she was real, and she was right in front of him.

"Prongs, you alright?" Sirius asked, but James didn't hear him, because the girl in the purple top and skirt had just begun to walk away, and he knew he had to talk to her. He was on her tail, following her flaming locks through the throngs of people as she made her way over to the drinks table.

* * *

"Hi, I'm James Potter," he introduced himself as soon as he caught up with her, with what he assumed would be a winning smile.

"Hi," Lily said, unsure why the self-assured boy she'd just watched prank someone was suddenly beside her as she poured herself a drink.

"Sorry, I just saw you across the room and thought I'd come and talk to you," he smiled. "I don't think I've seen you before?"

"No, I doubt it," was all Lily said, glancing at him briefly. He was cute, she had to admit that.

"You don't go to Hogwarts?" he asked, confused. This was a Gryffindor party, after all.

"No, my sister does," she replied. She probably shouldn't tell him she wasn't magic.

"Who's your sister?" he asked. He was desperate to know who this girl was, he just didn't want to seem too enthusiastic.

Lily just smiled a little. She wasn't going to tell him that. She didn't know what Petunia might have said about her. But as a certain brunette fell into Lily's line of vision, heading straight towards her, she realised she wouldn't have to say anything.

"Is everything okay, Lily?" Petunia asked as she reached the pair, concern for her younger sister clear in her eyes.

Lily. The girl with the emerald eyes and flaming hair was called Lily. "Everything's fine, Pet," James teased the older girl, as only him and his friends were brave enough to do.

"I wasn't talking to you, Potter," she snapped back.

"Everything's fine, Tuney, we were done," Lily smiled, using the nickname she knew her sister hated. She began to head away, her sister close on her heels.

"Honestly, Lily, I leave you alone for five minutes, and you end up talking to that prat?" Petunia admonished.

"He came over and started talking to me!" Lily defended herself. "Who is he, anyway?" she asked as they reached Petunia's friends.

"James Potter. Him and his friends call themselves the Marauders. They've got the younger girls fawning over them left, right and centre, but they're just arrogant little kids with nothing better to do than mess with others," Petunia explained.

"They're also some of the most popular kids in school," Lizzie added from her seat at the table, next to a boy in the tallest pointy hat Lily had ever seen.

"Lizzie has a soft spot for his friend, Sirius," Petunia added, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Well, thanks for dragging me away," Lily said.

"You should go check out the fortune teller, she's scarily accurate," Lizzie suggested, and Lily thought that sounded like as good an idea as any.

* * *

As Lily entered the little tent, the noise and commotion of the party disappeared, and Lily wondered if it was some kind of spell. The woman sat at the other side of the table was younger than Lily had expected, in deep purple and green robes. She was pouring out a cup of tea.

"Drink, please," the woman said with a smile. Lily did as she was bid, intensely uncomfortable with the situation. Why did she have to have a cup of tea? She didn't even particularly like tea.

They sat in silence while Lily drank, the woman watching her with kind eyes. When the tea was finished, the woman turned the cup upside down on the saucer and waited. When she turned the cup back around, Lily could see the tea leaves settled in the bottom of the cup for a moment before the woman pulled it up to peer inside. She was reading tea leaves?

"There is an Abbey, right in the centre. That means happiness will surely come your way, but the lines… the lines say this is unexpected. Perhaps in the last place you would think to look. There is an egg, too. This is hopeful, very positive. The egg means new beginnings. I would surmise that something is about to happen that will lead to you moving home, and that you will be happy there," the Seer finished, and Lily was certain the woman was way off base. Lily's life didn't change. It never had. They'd lived in the same house all her life.

"I'm not so sure," Lily commented.

"Oh, but my child, it is known!" the woman replied, to which Lily smiled and thanked her, before leaving the tent.

Still thinking about the mad woman's words, Lily nearly walked right into someone, and when she looked up to say sorry, she recognised the boy from earlier, and his same smile. James.

"Did she tell you that would happen?" James asked, motioning towards the little tent.

"She promised me you would leave me alone, actually," Lily countered, proud of her own quick wit.

"Well, she's obviously a fraud," James grinned.

"Aren't they all?" Lily asked.

"That depends if you take them seriously or not," James replied, and Lily couldn't help but smile a little. She had always thought the same. If someone believed in a fortune teller's words, then that fortune was likely to happen, was it not? The person would make it happen, whether they knew it or not.

"She does smile," James commented.

"Sometimes," Lily replied with a shrug. It was half past ten, and people were beginning to leave. Lily knew she, too, should be searching for her sister and preparing to go home. Something kept her here, talking to the arrogant, messy-haired boy with the big smile and an apparent fascination with her.

"Lily, I have to go now, and I know we haven't talked much, but I would really like to see you again," James said with a smile, knowing he was being forward, but no longer caring. If this was his last chance to talk to her, he might as well go all out.

Lily thought about it for a moment. She wasn't sure she liked him yet. He had charm, but he was so full of himself it was winding her up the wrong way. And yet, the opportunity for more exposure to the Wizarding World - that was too irresistible. "Okay," she said with a smile.

"I'll owl you," he smiled, and Lily nodded, before turning to walk away, really hoping that he did.


	2. The Owl Arrives

A/N: I would like to say a huge thank you to the 300+ individual readers this story has received in the past ten days, the three reviews, left by hogwarts' lily, jonski and Silvery Wind, the three followers this story has: Gracieshadowhunter, 1717 and Rs223, and the two favourites given by jonski and BohemianBlueSunshine. The completely unexpected response to this One-Shot, and the many people who asked me to make it a multi-chap, has convinced me to extend this, and so I present Chapter Two: The Owl Arrives.

Just a warning to my overseas readers: British terms are used below. I'm writing Lily as a normal British teenager so there will be a few. To help those that don't understand: term = semester, skive = skip a day of School, cocky = self=assured, full of themselves. Top Of The Pops = British TV show on at 7:30 on Thursday Nights. If there's anything more you don't understand, please ask!

And for the real warning: Curse words used below. If you don't like bad language, you may not like this.

Lily didn't want to go back to School. How was she supposed to enjoy that place when she knew somewhere like Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry existed? She was disappointed when Monday arrived, and she was putting her ghastly brown uniform on for the first day of her last term before her final exams. She'd thought about skiving, but it really wasn't worth the trouble she'd get into.

She couldn't stop thinking about all the people she'd met, and specifically, James Potter. He hadn't owled yet, but she hadn't given up hope. Hopefully he wasn't as cocky in writing. Sat in Biology, she found that enzymes were not enough to keep her attention and soon began to daydream of the class she would have been in had she been born with magic.

"Earth to Lily," came a voice from her right, and she looked around to her best friend, Leslie Cooke, asked her, tucking her long blonde hair behind her ear.

"Sorry, I'm not with it today," Lily replied. "What are we doing?" she asked.

Leslie fixed her with an amused smile, knowing this was not like her. "These questions," she said, gesturing towards a page in the open textbook they were sharing.

Lily tried to focus and began to write.

"We have some serious catching up to do about the Easter holidays," Leslie noted, and Lily internally grimaced. She would have to find a way of telling her what happened without mentioning magic.

"I'll tell you at lunch," Lily replied, hoping she could buy some time.

Lunch, however, arrived much too soon, and as they sat at their usual table with their sandwiches, Leslie fixed her wide brown eyes on Lily.

"So?" she asked, curiosity making way for eagerness.

"It wasn't that interesting. I watched a lot of TV. Have you seen Angels? It's so shit. I went to a party, I guess, but it was with Tuney," she replied, trying to avoid details.

"Angels is one of the worst things to happen to the nursing profession in a long time, agreed, but tell me about this party. Was there a boy? There's always boys at parties," she grinned and Lily rolled her eyes.

"Yes, and it's them that are supposed to have one track minds," Lily noted. "I suppose there was a boy, but I don't know if he like him. He's really cocky and full of himself."

"Those are the same thing, Lily. Tell me more, what happened?" she asked.

"I saw him with his mates, giving girls scores out of ten, so I tried to avoid him, but he followed me, and then I kept bumping into him all night," Lily explained.

"You kept bumping into each other, or you kept avoiding him and he followed you?" Leslie asked.

"I think he was following me," she grimaced, and Leslie smiled again.

"Ooh, sounds like he was interested," Leslie said. "At least you're not still hung up over Greg Griffiths."

"Oh, please, he's such a prat. But anyway, this lad said he'd write, so I'm waiting to hear back."

"He said he'd write? Are telephones too modern for him or something?" Leslie asked, the sarcasm thick. Lily couldn't help but think he'd probably never used one.

"Well, he goes to a boarding school, so he probably doesn't get much access to one," Lily reasoned.

"A boarding school? Is he rich?" Leslie asked, and Lily was starting to see all the problems with explaining the story.

"No, it's not that kind of school," she said.

"Is it one of _those_ schools? Is he a bad boy?" Leslie asked, her eyes widening at the news.

"No, no!" Lily defended. "It's just a regular school that takes boarders," she said, hoping that would solve everything. "It's the one Tuney goes to."

"Ah, yes, Petunia, the elusive and always absent sister." Leslie commented. "Well, what's the boy's name?"

"James Potter."

"Lily Potter. It has a ring to it," she joked.

"Oh, piss off," Lily said as her friend began to laugh.

By Thursday night, Lily was irritable. Even Tony Blackburn on Top of The Pops couldn't keep her interested for very long. Halfway through E.L.O.'s performance, Lily switched the telly off and headed upstairs. It was nearly 8 o'clock and she was bored.

When she heard a tap at her window, she jumped a little at the intrusion. She headed over to open her curtains. It was probably Petunia, she thought, before she saw that the owl was not one she recognised. She opened the window to let the Snowy Owl in, and it landed gracefully on her desk before holding her leg out. The messy scrawl that bore her name on the front of the envelope made butterflies appear in her stomach. It was from James. She nervously tore the envelope open to read the contents.

_Dear Lily,_

_I want to start off by saying I'm sorry it took me nearly two weeks to write to you. My life got really busy, and although I wanted to write to you the day after I met you, I haven't had the time. I hope you can forgive me._

_But I'm really glad I met you at that party. If I had known Petunia Evans had a sister like you, I would have been nicer to her. Where's she been hiding you?_

_Actually, that's a really good point. What School do you go to? I was under the impression there was only one Magic school in the UK, but I'll stand corrected. How's school going? I think we're in the same year, so I guess you're getting ready for your exams like me. Started revising yet? I haven't, but then I always do leave these things until the last minute._

_I know you thought I was a bit of an idiot at the party, and I am. Honestly. But I also wasn't on my best behaviour. Hopefully, I can convince you there's more to me than what you saw. I'd really like to see you again._

_Anyway, please write back, if you even remember who I am. I promise I'll be quicker next time._

_Best wishes,_

_James Potter_

As Lily smiled at his words, she also felt an impending doom at his questions. How was she supposed to answer them? He didn't know she was a muggle. The nervousness that surrounded this made her unwilling to write back. But she knew she should, and so she pulled out her pen and paper, which suddenly felt inferior to his quill and parchment, and began.

_Dear James, _she wrote, and was immediately stuck. How should she begin? She hadn't been as nice as she could be at the party, but she felt certain he deserved it. Should she stick to the witty lines that had become her favourite defence, or should she let her guard down, just a little, to see if he was worth it?

_I see you did eventually deem me worthy enough to keep your promise to. I'm honoured that you could find the time in your vague yet full life to squeeze out a letter._

_I can't say I'm as glad as you are that we met yet, but I will assure you that Petunia isn't always worth being nice to. I suppose she's been hiding me far away from her friends. Perhaps out of embarrassment that she has a ginger sister, or out of fear that I'd tell everyone the story of when she got stuck on a swing when she was thirteen and the fire brigade had to come and cut her out._

_I am revising already, though. I'm perhaps not stupid enough to think that my sheer talent and charm will come through in writing my answers and so I've decided that actually learning something might help me a little._

_You are right, though, I did think you were a bit of an idiot. Although, I will take back my judgement for now and keep it in reserve until some future date when you prove me correct. Maybe at this elusive future date when we meet again._

_Kind regards,_

_Lily Evans_

Lily placed her pen down with a smile, feeling quite proud of herself for her wittiness. She'd tried to be condescending and aloof, but with enough hints that she at least liked parts of his character, and would like to see him again. If he was smart, she thought, he'd understand.

She stood and walked over to his owl, stroking his soft feathers, before taking one of Petunia's owl treats out of her drawer and handing it to him, which he ate gratefully.

"I don't know what your name is, but I'm going to call you Mercury," she told the bird before she attached her letter to his leg and sent him on his way.

It was only then that she remembered Leslie. Leslie would be desperate to read the letter that Lily had received, but she couldn't let that happen. There were too many references to a world that Leslie didn't know existed. She would have to find an excuse.


	3. The Short Conversation

_Welcome to Chapter Three!_

_Once again I would like to thank everyone for all the love this story has received! You're all the reason this story goes on._

**I would just like to place a *little* warning here for mild sexual situations, because the teenage dirty-minded innuendos (Read: Sirius) in this chapter are perhaps not intended for younger readers.**

**Also, because of later chapters, I have had to up the rating of this story to T. Nothing will be graphic, I promise, this story will mostly retain it's lighthearted tone, but well, we all know that the story of the Marauders has its dark moments.**

* * *

After the party, James found himself severely lacking in free time. The mountain of holiday homework he'd left untouched could be ignored no longer, and as his final half-term grew ever nearer, he had to begin to repack. Thoughts of the auburn-haired angel he'd met were never far from his mind, but it seemed he wouldn't have time to write the promised letter until he was back at school.

On the Monday morning after the holidays were over, James had agreed to meet his friends at Diagon Alley before they boarded the train. He was stood outside Quality Quidditch Supplies, eyeing up the Nimbus 1801 as strangers bustled by, when Remus Lupin found him.

"You only got a new broomstick at Christmas. You can't be looking for a new one already!" the mousy-haired boy remarked by way of a greeting, grinning from ear to ear.

"I know, but it's the 1801! It's an upgraded version of mine, the handling is supposed to be miles better," James argued, grinning back.

"Just because you're playing Slytherin in a few weeks and you're worried you'll lose."

"Hey! Take that back, we'll never lose to Slytherin, not while I'm Captain!"

The mousy-haired boy laughed, knowing that while his friend seemed over-confident, he was probably right.

"Have you seen Padfoot or Wormtail?" James asked, naming the two other friends that mad eup their ragtag group.

"Padfoot will be fashionably late as ever, you know that. Peter should be here soon, though."

They began to walk down the street towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, the place they had agreed to meet. They weren't in any rush, it was a couple of hours before the train was due to leave, but they'd agreed to meet beforehand to discuss their ideas for their first major jape of the year. Their antics were unrivalled at Hogwarts, and they'd come to a point where they had to think carefully and plan their next moves so as to live up to their own name.

It wasn't long before Peter joined them, slightly out of breath but with excitement evident on his face.

"Sorry, guys! My grandmother insisted on bringing me, and it took her ages to get ready to go. She kept putting her glasses down and then forgetting where they were. She nearly didn't leave me, either. She says I'm too young to be wandering the streets when there's a war on," Peter explained, taking one of the empty seats at the table they had chosen. The weather was on their side today, and they were able to enjoy the later summer heat outdoors.

"No worries, we haven't ordered yet. Padfoot ought to be here soon, too," James replied as Remus shook his head in mock-despair.

As if on-cue, the fourth member of the group swanned over, complete with his characteristic leather jacket, eyeing up a blonde girl as she passed him by.

"Hey," he said with a grin when he reached their table, sliding into the last seat. "Are we getting ice cream?"

"Yeah, I'll pay. The usual?" James asked, making to stand.

"You mean I'm not just getting ice cream? I'm getting _free_ ice cream? This is the best day ever," Sirius replied, earning himself a laugh from his friends.

James said nothing and went to the counter, ready to order. He needn't ask what everyone wanted – they all knew each other's favourites. If there was anything the boys knew how to bond over, it was ice cream, although that was closely followed by chocolate and, more recently as they had grown, firewhiskey. He returned with the four cones balanced precariously in his hands, and the three other boys quickly moved to take their mid-morning treats.

"So, James, finished having wet dreams about that ginger chick yet?" Sirius asked with a grin once they were all settled, and James immediately reached out to playfully – but meaningfully – hit his friend around the back of his head. Sirius laughed, but Remus narrowed his eyes a little. He knew that James would usually just laugh off his best friend's comments about girls with a witty comeback remark, but this time, he didn't say a word.

* * *

Time seemed to pass by for the boys too quickly, and they found themselves setting off to greet the Hogwarts' Express sooner than any of them liked. In fact, the next few days passed by at a lightening pace. As soon as they were back at Hogwarts, Quidditch and classes took over as they prepared to sit their exams. It was Thursday before James found time to write the letter, and he wasn't left alone in peace. The four boys were all in their dormitory while James attempted to write, and Sirius was not leaving him alone.

"Are you telling her you love her? Why don't you write the last dream you had about her? Oh! You should tell her she doesn't need to use Wingardium Leviosa, you can rise all by yourself!" he joked.

While Remus and Peter fell about laughing at his words, James did not look impressed. He fixed Sirius with a baleful stare before turning back to the letter. It would be dinner in a couple hours and he had a detention to get to first for McGonagall; he wanted Lily to receive the letter before she went to bed, and while magical owls flew a little faster than their mundane counterparts, the journey would still take a few hours. Tuning out any further comments from Sirius, James finished writing and, satisfied, he sent the lines on their way.

* * *

It was breakfast the next morning when he spotted his owl flying in with Lily's reply. He felt a small flutter in his stomach and found himself a little embarrassed – at least it wasn't something Sirius could see; he knew he'd never hear the end of it.

"Ooh, she wrote back quickly, she must like you," Sirius commented from his left hand side, to which James responded with a sharp kick to the shin.

Reading the letter, James had to struggle to suppress a grin. For all her sarcasm and derision, the mention of an 'elusive future date' when they would meet again meant that she was thinking about it, and that was enough for him. He quickly shoved it into his bag so his friends wouldn't see it and continued with his food.

"That good, eh?" Remus asked with a smile. James threw him a side smile back and said nothing. As much as he thought the letter was pure gold in writing, he still couldn't be certain if she even liked him yet, so he would reserve his judgement as to whether the two of them were 'good'.

He was already thinking of his next letter back, knowing he would have to rise up and match her tone. If he could replicate her wit, perhaps she'd think him interesting enough to keep talking to.

Just as he thought that, his mind suddenly noticed lots of little things he hadn't contemplated before. It started with the letter. The letter hadn't been written on parchment, but on the lined paper he'd seen Muggles use. That in itself struck James as a bit odd. And there was the fact that she didn't attend Hogwarts like her sister. He'd never heard of a wizarding family sending their children to different schools, especially when there were so few places to garner an education, and Hogwarts was generally considered amongst the best. As these niggles plagued his mind, he resolved that he needed to do something about it.

"Sirius, fancy talking to Petunia tonight?" he asked his friend.

"The stuck-up seventh year? Sure, I'd love to try and get her to loosen up," Sirius replied with a grin while James struck him with a droll stare.

"Not like that. I need to play nice. I need information," he explained.

"I'm proud of you, mate. Spoken like a true stalker," Sirius retorted.

* * *

"Evans, you got a minute?" James asked that evening, interrupting the brunette's discussion with her best friend about career choices. James was stood next to Sirius, though the other Marauder headed his friend's earlier words, and the age-old fable, "If you have nothing good to say, it's better not to say anything at all."

"Not for you, Potter," the older girl commented, barely turning her head to acknowledge the boys.

As Petunia's friend, Lizzie, cast her eyes over the pair, allowing them to linger for a second on Sirius, James saw he may be in with a chance.

"She didn't mean that," Lizzie added, much to her friend's dismay. "What do you want?"

"Well, I, er…" James suddenly found himself uncomfortable with what he was about to say. "I was wondering which school her sister goes to, Lily. It seems strange that she's not at Hogwarts."

The back of his neck grew hot and for a moment, there was silent. Petunia turned to face him, then, fixing him with a haughty smile that made James' nervousness multiply tenfold. She had an air of a Slytherin about her that James did not like, and he found himself unsure if he wanted to hear her next words.

"Oh, she doesn't go to Hogwarts. She never got her letter," Petunia told him, purposefully telling half a story so she could watch the clogs in his mind turn over her words and come to the only possible answer to his question.

"But…" he began before the realisation hit him. His eyes widened in shock at a truth he had not been expecting and his jaw dropped loose. "Oh."

* * *

**Please, please, please, please leave me a review :)**


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